Tension-regulating device for spindle-driving bands



(No Modei.) v A. MODONALD.

TENSION REGULATING DEVICE FOR SPINDLE DRIVING BANDS. No 408,189. Patented July 30, 1889.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

ARTHUR MCDONALD, OF SCOTLAND, CONNECTICUT.

TENSION-REGULATING DEVICE FOR SPlNDLE-DRIVING'BANDS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 408,189, dated July 30, 1889. Application filed March 25, 1889. Serial No. 304,666. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ARTHUR IlIODONALD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Scotland, in the county of Vindham and State of Connecticut, have invented new and useful Improvements in Tension-Regu latin g Devices for Spindle-Driving Bands, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to tension-regulatin g devices for the driving-bands of spindles in spinning and similar machines, the object being to provide improved tension-regulating devices to be used for the above-named purpose; and the invention consists in the peculiar construction and arrangement of the said devices relative to the spindle-driving band, for the purpose of maintaining a regular tension thereon, all as hereinafter fully described, and pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings forming part of this specification, Figure 1 is a plan view of a portion of aspinning-machine frame containing the spindles and driving-drum thereof, in which is shown an endless driving-band applied to said drum and spindles, and tension devices arranged to act on said band embodying my improvements. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a portion of the frame of said machine and of said driving-band, and of the said bandtension devices. Fig. a vertical section of a portion of said tension devices, as below described.

In the drawings, B indicates the portion of the frame of a spinning or twisting machine in which the driving-drum A and the spindles c are supported in operative positions. The said driving-drum is fixed, as usual, on a supporting-shaft (Z, on one end of which is placed, in a well-known manner, a suitable driving-pulley. The spindlesc are supported in said frame 15 in any suitable bolsters or bearings, and are provided with the usual Whirs e, on which the driving-band connecting with said drum runs.

The driving-band 3 is what is known as an endless bandthat is to say, it is a band of sufficientlength to encircle the drum and all of the spindle-whirs,and the ends thereof are united in any suit-able manner. To comply with the object of this invention, the said drivingrband is made long enough to provide a slack portion,which is made to pass from each end spindle of said machine under that portion of the band which drives the intermediate spindles, as shown in Fig. 1. The object in carrying said slack portion of the band under those parts thereof which extend between the drum and the spindles is to provide for a suitable engagement of the belowmentioned tension devices therewith, Whereby an even and regular tension is exerted upon the driving-band, and said tension is more evenly and quickly distributed among the spindles than when the tension-pressure is applied to a short loop of the band leading from the driving-drum, for obvious reasons, and the natural elasticity of the band contributes n1ore or less, when said slack portion thereof extends under the band between the drum and spindles, to an ease of motion of the tension devices and the durability of the band, and the result thereof is that all of the spindles, with the whirs of which the said band engages, have rotary motions of a uniform speed, thereby insuring a uniform degree of twist in theseveral yarns which may be operated upon by said spindles. The

above-referred-to tension devices to operate upon saiddriving-band, for the purpose aforesaid, are constructed and attached to the frame of the machine as follows: To the lower rail 12 of the machine or other convenient place thereon, or in suitable proximity to the driving-band thereof, is fixed a vertical post 4-. by its lower end. On said vertical post 4 is placed a hollow post 5, which is capable of a free reciprocating rotary movement on the post 4, and to the upper end of said post 5 is rigidly secured one end of a horizontal arm 6, and to the opposite or free end of said arm is pivoted a pulley '7, having a groove therein, said pulley being adapted for engagement with the driving-band 3 of the spinning-machine, in the manner clearly shown in the drawings. The said hollow post 5and the said arm 6 are so actuated by a coil-spring 8, applied to the hollow post 5, as shown in the drawings, the lower end 00 of said spring having an engagement with a fixed portion of the machineas the lower rail r, for instanceand having its upper end suitably extended and engaging with the said arm (5, which carries the pulley 7 thereon, as aforesaid, the action of said spring 8, as will be clearly understood, being such as to carry the periphery of the pulley 7 with more or less force against the driving-band 3.

In practice, the coiled portion of the spring 8 is made of such internal diameter that it fits somewhat loosely around the hollow post 5 in order that the tension of said spring against the arm 6 may be Varied by winding the spring around said post more or less in either direction, thereby Varying the tension which is imparted to the driving-band by the pressure of the pulley 7 against it.

The above-described band-tension devices for use with a single driving-band, as described, are of an improved simplified construction, and are adapted to operate to produce a constant and nnvarying tension force upon the driving-band of the spinning-machine, whereby the above-described result upon the twisted product of said machine is obtained, and the device is one not likely to become deranged and inoperative, and hence afiords advantages of construction not pertaining to many of those heretofore devised for maintaining and regulating the tension of spindle-driving bands.

That I claim as my invention is In combination, the driving-drum and the spindles of a spinning and twisting machine,

an endless driving-band engaging said drum ARTHUR MCDONALD.

WVitnesses:

WVM. S. BELLoWs, H. A. CHAPIN. 

